Lying Secrets
by myrninxmorganvillevampiresx
Summary: Claire has a secret, one that could make all her friends hate her. She's cheating on Shane with Oliver, but can't seem to end things with him. Who will she choose? The loyal, warm blooded boyfriend? Or the curiously sexy older vampire? With their charade not keeping up appearances, will the people around them finally uncover the truth?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, so I know the summary wasn't very good, but I'm glad you decided to read it anyway! Not much happens in this chapter as it's just the beginning, but there will be soon!**

Claire hummed to herself as she worked, not in Myrnin's lab, but behind Oliver's counter. She herself was surprised to be there. But the fact was that she was short on money and needed the extra to come from somewhere, and the only available place had been Oliver's coffee shop. She had been so nervous in his interview and relieved and surprised when he had given her the position. That had been 3 months ago and she was still there. Her financial problems were solved, but she liked working there. Eve had moved onto the TPU campus coffee bar, which had made Claire a little sad, but honestly, she enjoyed working behind the counter. She still preferred being in the lab, but the coffee bar wasn't a bad alternative.

"Claire, a call for you" Claire turned towards Oliver with a small smile, polite, nothing else. "I'll just be a sec" she replied and thumped the drink in front of the man who had ordered it. "Please remind your housemates that this is a business, and as such they are not welcome to place calls whenever they feel like it" Oliver's cool tone made her shiver, but not with fear. She nodded and stepped past him, trying to ignore the heightened colour in her cheeks and walked down the hallway towards the little phone that was installed on the wall next to his office. "Hello?" she asked, not knowing who it was. "Claire! Where have you been?" "Huh?" the voice was Eve's, but why was she asking where she was? Her shift didn't end until- oh. She'd managed to work half an hour extra. "You do know that Oliver doesn't pay you extra for working hours outside your shift?" A small smile played over Claire's lips as she replied "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I guess I… lost track of time again" She heard Eve's exasperated sigh through the line. "Claire-Bear, I worked there for almost 2 years and I never lost track of time. Hell, I'm dumber than you and you still manage to lose track of time?" Claire rolled her eyes at her friend's exaggerations and promised to be home soon. She hung up on Eve's threats to come and collect her if she didn't, and turned to hang her apron up, almost bumping into a chest. She looked up and blinked at Oliver. "You could have told me that I've been working for half an hour past the end of my shift, you know" she said accusatorily. His eyebrows went up ever so slightly and he replied "When I want to lose free workers, I'll tell them that. Until then, they are kept in the dark" Now his eyebrows dipped down slightly "It's not my fault if you can't follow the progress of a clock" she opened her mouth and leaned forward, about to say something else, but another worker walked past them on the way to the bathroom. Claire took a small step back, suddenly aware of the little amount of space between herself and Oliver. "I really need to get home" she muttered, changing what she had been about to say when they had been alone. She wasn't totally sure who she was talking to, Oliver, or herself.

Walking into the Glass house, Claire was surrounded by the comforting atmosphere that was made up of the smell of chilli, the sound of laughter, and a little bit that was just… the house. She smiled and dumped her bag onto the table next to the door. As she walked into the dining room she saw Shane and Eve battling it out over the board of monopoly while Michael played softly on his guitar. "Yesss" Eve crowed as Shane landed on her hotel. "That'll be 500 pounds for me thank you very much" She caught sight of Claire smiling at them and leaped to her feet "CB! Finally the last houseguest returns!" Claire waved her away and turned into the kitchen to grab herself a bowl of the chilli she could smell. As she was ladling it into the bowl, a pair of warm arms wrapped around her waist and she breathed in the smell of Shane. She smiled slightly and turned around to face him. "If you don't move, you're going to have chilli all down your top" she said with a smile. He kissed her briefly and she had to lean on her toes to reach him. A stab of guilt knifed through her as they kissed but she pushed it away. "Come on, I'm hungry" she slid out of his grasp and joined the others in the sitting room. She never saw the frown that Shane had on his face as he looked at her leaving.

** So what did you think? Review ! **


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is the second chapter. As always, please review!**

"Interesting book?" Claire started a little and looked up. "Um, yeah, I guess" she said distractedly to Michael, who was on his way out the door. "I'd take the fact that you've been staring at the same page for the past half hour as a different answer" he told her. She laughed lightly and closed the book. "Where are you going?" she asked as she stretched, groaning. "Common Grounds". There was something in the way he said it that made Claire look at him with a frown on her face. Michael didn't say anything, just stared at her. "What?" she finally asked, slightly freaked out. "Why are you staring at me?" "You're not coming?" She blinked. "I- should I be coming?" Now she was slightly alarmed. She hadn't been going to common grounds _that_ often… or had she? Michael shrugged and replied "Just you've been going a lot, that's all" Claire bit her tongue on a snarky reply, knowing it would make her sound suspicious. Instead she just shrugged the matter off with a bored tone "I just like Oliver's coffee I guess". When she turned, Michael was shutting the door behind him. Claire sighed and flopped onto the couch. Why did Michael have to be so nosy? She _worked_ there, for crying out loud, of course she was going to spend a lot of time there. But maybe she should keep a better eye on the clock next time… Claire sighed and buried her head into a pillow.

* * *

"She's not coming?" Eve asked as Michael sat in the car. "No" he replied, frowning. "What did she say?" Michael continued to stare at the steering wheel. "Nothing really, not that I could pick up on, but…" "But?" Eve asked, alarmed. "Her heart was beating faster when I left" he finally admitted. Eve leant back in her chair, and frowned. "I don't know what to be more concerned about, the fact that you can actually _hear_ some ones heart rate change, or that Claire is hiding something…" she tried to joke, but it came out slightly flatter than intended. Michael looked at her. "Hey, I'm sure it's nothing, babe" Eve sighed again unhappily and nodded. "I know, but she's been acting so strange lately, 'losing track of time' and suddenly liking coffee, I mean Claire's never been a coffee person, and all of a sudden she loves the stuff, but never has any in the house…" Eve stopped her rambling with a physical effort and turned to smile at Michael. "But anyway, like you said, it's probably nothing" Despite her words, as Michael and Eve drove off, neither of them truly believed that.

* * *

Claire stood up and wandered over to the window. Had that been the car? But Michael had left a good few minutes ago… come to think of it, she never heard him drive away, and she was pretty sure that was his car turning the corner there. She pursed her lips, unhappy. What was going on?

She was just leaving the lab when an idea crossed her mind. She waited until she was at the bottom of the street where the Glass house was, then stopped and flipped open her phone. "Hey Eve, are you home?" she nodded at the response, pleased. "Oh good, good. Listen, I'm just going to go into Common Grounds to grab a coffee, so don't wait for me, 'kay?" Was it just her, or did Eve sound slightly different when she replied? She shut her phone and took a deep breath. Now for the main part of her plan. She slowly walked up the steps and inserted her key into the lock. As quietly as she could, she turned it and opened the door. Pausing, she listened hard. She could hear people talking in the kitchen, so she crept forward quietly to listen in. As she had suspected, it was Michael and Eve, talking about _her_. She smothered down the flash of annoyance that she felt and crouched next to the doors, barely breathing in order to hear better.

"-going there?" This was Eve. "Since when did she like coffee at Common Grounds so much? She never visits me at TPU Michael, not since she got the job there". Claire shifted her weight to lean against the wall, settling down for what she could sense would be a long conversation. "Babe, I mean, maybe it's like she says, she just likes the coffee there" even Claire could hear the doubtfulness in his voice and her grip on her bag tightened. Evidently, Eve could too, as she replied "Michael, you know you've stopped believing that. She's been acting really suspiciously" "Not that much" Michael protested weakly, still trying to stick up for her. "She was humming the tune to Oliver Twist the other day". This was met with silence and Claire's eyes widened. She hadn't, had she? When? Almost reading her thoughts, Michael asked. "On Tuesday. When she happened to 'lose track of time again'" Claire imagined banging her head against the wall. How could she have been so stupid? She couldn't listen anymore. She slowly stood up and crept back towards the door, but forgot about her bag. It brushed against the side table, managing to knock a game case to the floor, where it clattered loudly. She froze then quickly stood up, trying her best not to look guilty. When she stood up after picking the game case back up, Michael and Eve stood in front of her. "Hi!" she said perkily. Trying not to show her nervousness, she asked "Something wrong?" "Where's your coffee?" Eve asked. Claire blinked. "I… threw it away. After I was finished." This statement was met with a horrible silence that Claire was sure, meant that she was about to be found out. Luckily Shane chose that moment to burst through the front door, smelling of barbeque and holding four grease-stained bags. She sighed a quick breath and turned around to greet him. But she hadn't escaped. "CB, can I talk to you for a minute?" Claire knew if she said no, then she might as well announce herself guilty right then and there. "Sure" she said.

* * *

Eve walked over to the fridge and grabbed a coke, a very Claire-like gesture. She turned to see Claire standing next to the counter, with a half-smile on her face. "Claire-"she started. If possible, Claire's smile grew even more strained. Eve didn't know what to say. "What… Why… argh!" this last one was a sound of frustration from Eve, who thumped her coke down on the table angrily. Claire's eyes grew wider. "What is it Eve?" Eve could see the tension in Claire. She just didn't want to ask. "Claire" she said quietly. Michael, in the other room, could hear Claire's heartbeat skyrocket. "Yes?" she asked, sounding like she knew exactly what Eve was going to ask. "Claire, are you seeing Oliver?"

**So? Tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, sorry for the wait! Chapter 3 is here, reviews needed!**

It was like time slowed down. Claire was already taking a breath to reply, but she had no clue what was going to come out of her mouth. A part of her wanted to tell Eve everything, from when she first started working at the coffee shop 3 months ago to her first encounter with Oliver and now the hopeless feeling of guilt whenever she was around Shane these days. But this was mostly smothered by the other part of her, the part that was shrieking "Don't say anything! Deny it! Deny it!" and she was agreeing with it. As much as Eve was her best friend, she knew that if she spoke the words aloud, everything would go to hell. Michael would easily overhear, and what would be his first course of action? To tell Amelie of course. And once Amelie knew, one of her guards, or a passing vampire would know, and then if they told another vampire, and another, and another… Oliver's reputation would be destroyed. No one would be able to respect him after it was found out that he was seeing a _human_. So Claire abruptly shut her mouth. A look of horror was appearing on Eve's face as she read into Claire's silence. Eve opened her mouth, but couldn't appear to say anything. Claire's heart felt like it would burst out of her chest, and her mind was racing. Big klaxon alarms were shrieking in her head, but she couldn't think of a single thing to say that wouldn't sound like a complete lie. So they stood there in silence, for what must have only been a few seconds but what felt like an age. And then.

Claire nearly screamed when someone grabbed Eve and spun her around to face him. It was Oliver, of course. He stared into her eyes and Claire got the feeling he was messing with Eve's mind. She almost called out to him to stop, but then realised who else could hear her. Eve's shoulders dropped, and she relaxed, as if she was being hypnotised. Oliver broke eye contact and turned her around, giving her a little push out of the kitchen. Claire gawped at him for a moment, then rushed to the door and opened it a crack. "-she say?" Michael was asking Eve. Claire held her breath, but she needn't of worried. "She said no. And I believe her. Whatever's going on with her, it's got nothing to do with Oliver. We've been barking up the wrong tree Michael." Claire could practically hear the frown in Michael's voice as he questioned her. "Are you sure? You were so convinced-" "I'm sure Michael." Claire sighed a breath of relief when it seemed like Michael accepted this for the truth. She turned around, a glare set on her face, to an empty kitchen. She stood there for a minute, not able to believe it, then blew out a frustrated breath and grabbed the coke that Eve had left before joining the others in the dining room.

* * *

Claire sang along with the song that was blasting out of the TV on the music channel. As she put the popcorn bag in the microwave, she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet in time to the beat. She was in a happy mood. A very happy mood. Michael and Eve had gone out on a date, and said they weren't expected back until early morning. Shane was going out with some friends from work –Claire pushed back the other theories in her mind- and she so had the house to herself for once. Her plan was to cook the popcorn, grab a movie, and spend the night curled up on the sofa with a blanket.

Of course, that was until her boss showed up.

**I know, another cliffhanger! But what do you think will happen next? I'm thinking some ClaireXOliver... ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys, sorry for the delay in chapter 4 but I've had school and stuff. But now it's half term (yay!) so I'll try and update more regularly from now on :D**

She was just crossing the living room towards the sofa, popcorn bowl in hands, when a pair of cold arms encircled her waist, much like Shane's had earlier that day, and flipped her around to face him.

She gasped as the popcorn bowl went tumbling to the floor and her eyes widened in surprise when her lips met someone else's, but soon enough she was kissing him back, her hands travelling up to clutch the back of his tie-dye shirt as the mess on the floor was forgotten. After a minute or so, they broke apart, her gasping for breath slightly. As her eyes focused on him properly she couldn't help but smile.

"There could have been anyone in the house, y'know" she said, raising an eyebrow. He simply rolled his eyes and replied "All of your housemates are out, Claire. Michael and Eve are in a small diner near Founders square and your boyfriend is… out" Claire frowned and was about to ask what he meant by 'out' when he suddenly swept her up in a bridal-style carry. She automatically hung onto his neck, and staring into his dark brown eyes, forgot what it was she was going to say. All that came out was a very intelligent sounding "Uh…" He chuckled lightly and she blushed.

Playing with his ruby earing absent-mindedly, she smiled warmly at him. "Oliver…" she started. "Yes?" he asked. In response she leant forward slowly and kissed him. As their kiss deepened, Oliver shifted her so that she was facing him and ended up with her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands supporting her. She broke off the kiss, definitely short of breath now, but Oliver didn't stop there. She closed her eyes in pleasure as he left a trail of kisses down her neck, tipping her head back to give him more room. She sighed as he nibbled slightly at her throat, shivering in pleasure at his touch. Just by doing this she couldn't think straight, and simply said another intelligent "Uhh…". She wasn't sure if it was an attempt at a sentence or simply a sound of pleasure. She felt his body vibrate as he laughed at her. She didn't mind though, simply brought his lips back to hers. This was definitely better than what she had had planned, especially when he swept up the stairs to her room and shut the door with his foot before laying her on the bed…

* * *

Claire groaned as she heard the bed sheets rustle, knowing what was going on. She opened her eyes blearily to see Oliver standing up, his jeans riding low on his waist as he reached for his t-shirt. "Don't go" she sighed. He turned to her, humour lighting his eyes briefly. "As lovely as you are when you are half-asleep, I must refuse. You know why."

Claire pouted as she replied "I know… but still. Stay." She sounded childish, but then she felt like acting childish. It wasn't _fair_. "One of these days I'm going to stop you from leaving" she said sulkily. He chuckled and stroked her face, causing a smile to return to her face. "I'm sure you will" he said, somehow not making it sound like he was making fun of her.

She groaned as she sat up, not bothering to keep the sheets around her, a small part of her still hoping he would stay. Plus, she liked the feeling she got when he gazed at her with those dark, dark eyes. "What time is it?" She grumbled, trying not to sound too pleased. "A quarter past 2" he replied. She sighed and looked around for her clothes. Speaking of which…

"Where are my clothes?" she asked, puzzled. She turned around and saw Oliver grinning mischievously. She pursed her lips. "Oliver" she said "Where are my clothes?" Oliver simply shrugged and pulled his t-shirt on. Claire looked at him for a moment longer, then swung her legs out of bed. She stood up, trying to pull the sheet with her, but Oliver was sitting on the bed, and she couldn't. She turned around to glare at him, and saw that he was lying down on his back, his hands behind his head in a very relaxed manner as he waited for her to get some clothes out of her dresser. "Oh" she said in an amused voice. "Mature Oliver, very mature." Shaking her head, she walked halfway to the dresser, then struck a pose, watching his reaction.

The grin spread across his face and his eyebrows rose. "Still want to go?" she said, teasing. Continuing on her way, she rummaged through her draw and found some underwear. Putting it on, she turned around and found herself nose-to-chest with Oliver. He leaned down and she _really _had to stretch to reach him, hooking her arms around his neck and kissing him with a fiery passion that she rarely showed to Shane these days. This time _he_ broke it off and she whined a little, resting her head on his chest. "I wish-"she broke off. Oliver remained silent. She sighed in frustration. "Never mind" Stepping away from him, she met his gaze. "You have somewhere to be, don't you?" she said it reluctantly. He nodded with a slight smile and kissed her again, a light peck on the lips, and walked past her.

She turned to watch him as he opened the door and slipped quietly out into the hallway, shutting the door with a gentle _click_ afterwards. Stretching her arms over her head, Claire heard multiple cracks in her back and sighed with relief. She slipped into the clothes she was wearing previously, which had _mysteriously_ appeared in her closet; she padded quietly downstairs and remembered about the popcorn when she saw it spilled out over the floor. Cleaning it up, she put a new bag in the microwave and picked out a movie to watch. She fell asleep watching Titanic, the popcorn bowl clutched to her chest, and that was how Michael and Eve found her when they returned home from their date.

**Soooooo what did you think? I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter, so I'm not really sure if I managed to make it good, but reviewwww pleasee! DONT READ WITHOUT REVIEWING!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heyy another chapter, I need reviews! It's the shortest chapter yet, so I'll try to update really soon!**

Claire froze in the action of putting coffee cups in the sink. Had she heard that right? She thought … no, it couldn't be. She turned around, but the girls had left. She was _sure _she'd heard Shane's name… She wanted to deny it and call herself stupid for even thinking it, but even so… if _she_ was cheating, why should she think Shane incapable of it as well? Biting her lip, Claire caught Oliver looking at her from his office, where the door stood open, a sign of the sweltering heat that was affecting the town. She couldn't tell if he had heard the girls, or knew that she had heard, _if_ she had heard. She met his eyes briefly, and then turned back to her job of serving people.

* * *

It was a quiet night at the dinner table for once. Claire had made tacos, which she had preferred rather than stay in the sitting room and watch TV with the others. She felt awful. She was a liar, a cheater and one step away from having no boyfriend, but she couldn't –no, on second thought, she _could- _she wouldn't make it right because of the vampire she was secretly going out with.

Claire frowned, thinking that it sounded a bit unfair when put that way. It wasn't Oliver's fault. She sighed as she scrubbed the plates –another task that she had chosen over time with her housemates- and tried to think of other things. But then the thoughts circling around Shane came back, and now all she could think of was that eight letter word that was dreaded in all relationships… cheating. She cleaned the cup in her hands with a bit more force than necessary and it slipped out of her grasp, bouncing off the counter and falling to the floor, where it smashed with a sharp tinkling sound. She jumped back automatically, then grumbled to herself as she bent and started to pick up the pieces. "Claire?" the tone was alarmed, and as she looked up, Shane rounded the corner. "Just a glass" she said, holding up a piece to demonstrate. Of course, she immediately cut herself. "Ow!" "Here, let me do that" Shane stepped forward and she let him clean up the mess as she searched for a plaster in the first aid kit.

Putting it on the counter, she rinsed her finger and dried it before reaching for it again. Another hand reached for it first, and grabbed her hand. "I'll do it" as she sat in the chair, Claire studied Shane closely. Was he acting differently? She didn't think so. And as she observed the way he treated her –with such care and respect- she wondered to herself if it was even possible that he was cheating on her.

**IS Shane cheating on her? Or is Claire imagining it? Tell me what you think !**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi a veryyyy short chapter today cause i cant think of anything to happen! Comment any ideas you have!**

Oliver frowned to himself as he watched Claire serve people at the coffee bar. It was some sort of miracle, he thought, that she hadn't yet put the pieces together about her "boyfriend". However, he had a niggling suspicion that it would be soon… Oliver didn't want her to get hurt, to be able to smell the pain coming off her, but it was an inevitable fact that it was going to happen at some point. The boy was being unfaithful to her. Claire was still just a human, as much as it pained Oliver to admit, so she didn't see the things that he saw, or smelt.

Clue 1: The boys nervousness whenever he was out in public with Claire; the way his eyes darted around, seeking out something that would make him sweat and his heart rate increase ever so slightly.

Clue 2: The smell of faint perfume that clung to the boy, even after washing. This, mingling with the scent of another human, that most certainly wasn't Claire, told Oliver everything he needed to know about the boys time spent 'out with friends'.

Oliver knew all of this, but told Claire nothing. She needed to figure it out for herself. Not to mention how… inadequate it would be coming from him, her secret lover, that her boyfriend was cheating on _her_.

Oliver shifted restlessly and turned to the papers neatly ordered on his desk, unaware that he himself was being watched…

**Comment any ideas you have that should happen, I'm having a serious case of writers block! Review on what you thought this chapter was like!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay guys, sorry for that short chapter before, but thanks to a few people reviewing and commenting with their ideas I know what's going to happen to Claire next... ;) So thanks to:**

**- Clyrnin forever  
- Sarah (Guest)**

**You really helped me, thanks!**

Claire walked along a street in Morganville and hummed quietly to herself. She felt light hearted, which was rare these days, and even rarer with her new suspicions of Shane. Her mind was free from worry, at least temporarily, and she was content to walk along and watch the grass grow… theoretically.

Pausing in her humming, Claire dug her key out of her bag as she ascended the steps and turned the handle, surprised when it shifted and the door opened. Usually no one was in, with Eve and Shane at work and Michael asleep until a few hours later.

"Hello?" she called out as she shut the heavy oak door behind her with a muffled thump. After a slight pause, Eve's voice called out from the sitting room "We're in here, CB". Claire cut through the kitchen to grab a can of coke, which she chugged thirstily before continuing into the sitting room, where she found Michael and Eve.

Claire paused as she took in their body language. There was something just… not right in the way they were sitting, with Eve holding Michaels hand as if for support. Now Claire noticed the way that Michael stared at Eve, whereas usually he would at least look when someone entered the room, and Eve's eyes were all over the place. Frowning, Claire asked "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

But they weren't acting as if someone was seriously injured, or had gone missing, or was locked in cage (all things that had happened to Claire before), just like there was some bad news that they didn't want to share…

Claire's happy mood from earlier was long gone, replaced with a tidal wave of suspicions and doubts. "Claire, honey" Eve started, standing up. Claire's eyes narrowed slightly. What was with that gentle tone? "You- you might want to sit down for this" Baffled, Claire walked over to the chair, but remained standing. "What is it Eve?" she asked gently. _Oh my god, they couldn't know about- _No, of course not, Oliver had compelled Eve. _Compelled._ But what if Michael- no. Just listen to what they have to say first. It probably has nothing to do with what she was thinking.

"Shane's – Shane is…."

"Cheating on you" purred a voice from the stairs. A voice that Claire recognised….

**Just to say now, it's not Monica... I thought about it but didn't really like the idea. Can you guess who it will be? ReviewReviewReview! I need to know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Omg, I'm sooooooo sorry for the wait, but I had revision and stuff for exams (17!) and stuff so I haven't had a chance to update! So in this chapter you finally get to know who the mystery woman is... ;)**

Claire froze, her hand clenching around her can of coke. Eve's eyes were fixated on something –someone- behind her, and she could see Michael standing behind her, his eyes tinged with red, from anger or worry, Claire couldn't tell.

Slowly, Claire turned around to face the girl standing on the last step, wearing only a thin, practically see-through shirt over what Claire could easily tell were some fancy lace matching bra and panties set. Her dyed black hair spiralled over her shoulders, hiding what Claire could tell was a pretty big chest.

Kim sneered at Claire from the stairs, and Claire's heart splintered slightly. Her knuckles were turning white and she was afraid she was going to crumple the can, so she carefully set it on the table closest to her.

Eve was glaring at Kim, and Claire kept her back to her as she tried to control her breathing. She heard the creak of the stairs as a familiar set of footsteps descended them, and she whirled around as Shane stopped suddenly, realising what had happened. She met his guilty gaze with a furious one of her own, and waited for him to say something.

When it became apparent he wasn't capable of speaking, Claire took charge. "Nothing to say, Shane?" her tone was low, but everyone could hear the anger in it. "I – Claire,-"

"Shut up Shane" she snapped at him. He shut his mouth with a snap. "God, I'm so stupid! Out with friends? Ha! I knew you were lying, especially the way you've been acting lately- being out so late, and-" Claire caught herself as her voice rose into a shout. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she glared at Shane.

Before she could speak, he quickly opened his mouth and spoke. "Claire, you weren't meant to see- they, you said you wouldn't tell her!" This last part, much to Claire's surprise, was directed toward Michael and Eve. Hurt, Claire turned to them. "What?" she said, confused. "Eve- you knew?" Claire wished fiercely that Eve was going to shake her head and deny it, but she remained silent. Claire's mouth opened in a little "o" of surprise and pain. Eve… was her best friend? But why didn't she tell her?

A sly chuckle dragged Claire's attention away from her friends. Kim looked at her with a lazy smile, and Claire got angry all over again. She turned on Shane again, shouting now. To her surprise, instead of looking guilty now, Shane seemed almost _angry_. His eyes narrowed and he took a step down, looking Claire in the eyes.

"Well Claire, you would know, wouldn't you? I mean, you go on about being able to see the _signs_ that I was cheating, well, it goes both ways doesn't it?" Shocked, Claire took a small step backwards. How had he guessed? There had_ been_ no signs! Looking triumphant now, Shane advanced on her.

Claire grabbed her backpack from the floor, hoping to use it as some sort of sheild. "I don't know what you're talking about, Shane." She looked towards Michael and Eve, not sure what she was looking for, but she didn't find it in the suspicion and doubt written across their faces. Michael was frowning at her, and she met his gaze with a pleading one of her own.

"Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me you haven't cheated on me Claire?" When she failed to do so, his face grew dark. "I thought so. Who was it, hm? Jim from work? A jock at university? Hell, it was probably a bloodsucker. The leech you work with, Myrnin, it was him, wasn't it?" Claire whipped around to face him. "No!" she said defiantly. "But I'm right aren't I? It _was_ a leech."

"Claire" Eve whispered, wide eyed. Claire turned on her, feeling backed into a corner. "What, Eve?" she snapped. "I remember now" the whisper turned Claire's blood to ice. How could she be out form Oliver's influence? It wasn't possible…. "What's that Eve? Care to share? I can go and give him congratulations, -"

"Shut up Shane" Eve said quietly. Surprised, Shane stopped mid rant and looked at Eve. Claire begged Eve with her eyes to not say what was surely going through her head, but it was no use.

"Why him, Claire? Of all people, why him?"

Everyone in the room looked at Claire in confusion. She could feel her cheeks burning red as she struggled to meet Eve's eyes. "Who Eve? What do you mean, you remember? How could you forg-" Michaels mouth shut abruptly as he worked out what had happened. He turned his eyes on Claire, definitely angry now. "You got your vampire boyfriend to influence my girlfriend into forgetting what she saw?" he roared. Claire winced and took another step back, faced with Michaels fury.

But a small part of her refused to back down. How come it was her fault all of a sudden? Shane had been cheating on _her_ as well. Hell, he might even have done it first.

With a hand in front of Michael, restraining him, Eve was still looking at Claire, expecting an answer. "What do you want me to say Eve, huh?" Claire snapped, irritated by the hurt look in her friends eyes. She's done nothing _wrong. _"Do you want me to say that this is all a big misunderstanding, that your own memories are wrong? Well I'm not, because it's not true and I don't regret a single moment of it" Claire felt like acting wildly, so she did.

"The truth is, Eve" she said to a silent audience. "That I loved every moment that I spent with Oliver". And with that, Claire spun around and marched out the door into the darkening night.

**Tell me what you think! I already know what's going to happen in the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be too long before I update again.**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9 is here! _**

_Oh god. Oh no. _ What had she done? She couldn't go back home after _this._

After storming outside, Claire had wandered the streets before finding a bench outside the university and sitting with her head in her hands.

Why had it gone so _wrong_? Of course, she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep up the charade for ever, but she when she had imagined telling Eve, Eve had been understanding and comforting. Not looking at her like a stranger, like she had when Claire had told them, told them about – about the… _oh god_.

She had slowly been spirally in self-pity for hours now, unable to go home. What was she going to do? Claire sighed heavily and put her head in her hands again.

"You seem to be extraordinarily troubled tonight" Claire jumped as the words were spoken, seemingly from thin air, then relaxed fractionally when she saw Myrnin leaning against the bench. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Claire, I am a vampire. It is night. Surely someone of your high intellect can work it out." When she said nothing, he carried on.

"The better question would be, why are _you_ here, instead of resting comfortably at home?" She groaned and straightened, leaning against the back of the seat until she was staring at the stars. She was exposing her throat to a vampire, but it was Myrnin, and he didn't sound menacing tonight.

"I don't want to talk about it." she said sadly. "Are you sure about that?" Myrnin asked, to her surprise, then sat down on the bench beside her with effortless grace. She sighed, then closed her eyes, enjoying the cool breeze on her face slightly.

"I assume it is to do with Shane then." He didn't phrase it like a question, and something about the way he said it suggested that he didn't _assume_ anything. She opened her eyes and stared at him. He returned her gaze with a calm one of his own. Bluntly, because she was scared, Claire asked him

"How much do you know?"

The response was immediate.

"Everything"

"Great" She whispered under her breath as her stomach flipped, ignoring the fact that he could totally hear her because, hello, _vampire_. As she put the pieces together in her head, Claire cringed slightly. Michael must have told Amelie not long after it happened, and someone else had to know for _Myrnin_ to know, because she didn't really think that Amelie would go round telling everyone. It would be _beneath_ her or something.

She groaned loudly. "What am I going to do?" she was asking it rhetorically, so she was startled when Myrnin spoke.

"You know, this bench is a memorial"

"Huh?" she was used to Myrnin coming out with random stuff, but this was still – unexpected.

"For a vampire, of course. He was staked by a human in a fit of rage. Something to do with his wife…" Claire tuned out the rest of Myrnin's not-so-random ramblings as she realised what must have been happening while she had been spiralling. She stood abruptly, interrupting Myrnin in the middle of a sentence. "Oh my god, I have to find Shane – no, Oliver, no… who's closer?!"

Images were rushing through her head as she got a sick feeling in her stomach. Of course, Shane wasn't her boyfriend, but she could easily see how angry he would be, and the easiest target would be Oliver. He was a vampire, he was the man she'd been cheating on him with… he'd be so blinded with rage he'd probably do something stupid – if he hadn't already…

"Your welcome, my dear. Now I really must get back to work. As life changing as this event is for you, I must say, it does nothing for myself or Am- well, I mustn't give the game away just yet" Before she could blink, Claire was left alone on the street, but she was already walking towards the glass house, her earlier dread multiplied tenfold, but for different reasons.

Twenty minutes later, she opened the door to her home, panting slightly and not sure what to expect.

It certainly wasn't to see Shane sitting on the couch playing zombie games on his Xbox.

**Read and Review Guys!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Guys, sorry it's beens o long! Chapter 10: R&R!**

Claire stopped on the threshold, confused. Shane was giving her the silent treatment, giving no sign of anything that had happened in the last 2 hours.

"Shane" she said. He didn't respond, but she had only said it as a statement. He was _here._ But she'd been so sure… what had Myrnin been blathering on about then? She dithered in the doorway, unsure what to do.

"Shut the door, your letting all the heat out" the tone was not a kind one, and Claire spied Eve in the kitchen, with her back facing the door. After a moment of hesitation, she did so.

She was starving, but no way was she going to go in the kitchen with Eve, who was radiating anger in almost visible waves. Claire imagined them as thick dark black ones, smothering everything in sight.

Suppressing a shiver, she climbed the stairs, wanting to get out from the oppressing atmosphere. When she had almost reached the top, out of sight, she heard whispers erupt. She was tempted to eaves drop, but carried onto her room, where she collapsed on her bed on her back.

She wouldn't put it past Myrnin to play a joke on her, but not about this. So what had he meant? Sighing, Claire turned onto her side. What was going to happen to her? She would lose the only friends she had. Michael might ask her to move out. She'd have to live with her parents again… hang on.

Where was Michael?

The pieces clicked together in her head and Claire cursed at herself for being so self absorbed and stupid. She heard Myrnins story again in her head.

_This bench is a memorial you know. For a vampire of course… _

Of course! She remembered how furious Michael had been at her when he realised Oliver had messed with Eve's head and cringed slightly. Well, he hadn't known it was Oliver until she'd stupidly given him his name.

Reaching for her backpack automatically, Claire ran down the stairs, and paused at the bottom. Eve and Shane were both in the kitchen, talking about her no doubt. Should she ask them about Michael? She imagined how it would go in her head and winced. No doubt there would be some smart ass comment from Shane, and Eve would stare at her with big, dark eyes, full of mistrust.

The kitchen door started to swing open, and the decision was made. Claire ran to the door and sneaked out before whoever it was saw her.

_Right, where would Michael go? _To where ever Oliver was. Well that was easy. She turned left and jogged towards Common Grounds.

* * *

Getting there, she swung the door open with a tinkle. It was almost full, but not with human customers. It was ridiculously quite, just murmurs of conversation, but Claire squared her shoulders and walked towards Oliver's office.

"He's not here" Ralph, another barista that she barely knew, shouted from behind the counter. She turned. "Where is he then?" she asked as she walked towards him. "I dunno, he doesn't exactly advertise these things." Claire sighed, frustrated. It could take her all night to find him, and she didn't have _time_. She thought hard, but was interrupted by the cashier. "I thought I heard him say something about going to the warehouse. Apparently there was a mix up in tea bags or something" this last part was said dubiously, as if she didn't believe there were enough types of tea for there to be a _mix up_. Still, it was a place to start. "Thanks" she said as she left the shop. She caught a snippet of conversation from a couple near the door, but didn't fully understand until she was walking down the street, where she abruptly halted.

_That's the one I was telling you about. Oliver's pet… _

_Oh my god._

Did everyone know? No wonder she felt like she was being stared at in there.

She turned, and saw the soft glow form the window of the coffee shop. A part of her wanted to go back in there and demand answers, but that was a small part, and Claire knew she didn't have time, not if she wanted to find Michael in time, before he did something stupid.

She set off again, heading for Oliver's coffee warehouse.

**Reviewwwwww!**


	11. Chapter 11

She was panting by the time she reached the warehouse. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, Claire listened out for any loud noises. There were none, which could be good…or bad. Again, she flashbacked to Michael's rage and cringed. It wasn't like she personally asked Oliver to alter Eve's memory! She needed to explain properly to Michael, if she got there in time.

She took a step forward and paused. There were about ten different warehouses in the yard, with no way to tell the difference. Sighing in impatience she started to try them all one by one.

On her fifth try Claire struck gold. No wonder she hadn't heard any loud noises, because this warehouse was almost empty, and the two vampires were fighting in almost complete silence. It was strange, seeing someone get hit but not crying out. Michael's fangs were out and his eyes were blood red, whereas Oliver seemed pretty calm, considering the situation.

Neither vampire had heard her come in, at least she didn't think they had. Michael was giving it his all, and Oliver had to concentrate quite a bit to fend him off. Claire wasn't sure if she would make the situation better or worse by stepping in, so she remained hovering next to a pile of crates, watching.

Michael went to punch Oliver, but Oliver easily sidestepped and pushed Michael into a stack of crates, causing them to wobble dangerously. Michael bounced off them and took a few steps beck to steady himself. The two paused, regarding each other.

"Michael, I really don't see what you're so angry about" Oliver said in the silence that followed. Michael's eyes burned even brighter red and he spluttered. "What I'm angry about? Are you joking? You messed with my girlfriend's mind you sick freak!" Claire felt a spark of anger towards Michael, although she understood why he was angry. Oliver lifted an eyebrow, and replied with no change in tone "Michael, we are the same. You really must stop classing yourself with the humans. You are a vampire, so you have exactly the same abilities. Simply because I chose to use mine does not make me a 'sick freak'" Claire could imagine the quotation marks in his words.

Michael was breathing heavily, but she couldn't tell if it was because he was angry or out of breath from all the fighting. "I can't believe Claire can stand you, there's got to be something wrong with her brain. Hey, I guess it takes a freak to get a freak" A bitter twisted tone entered Michael's voice that Claire had never heard before. Her rucksack fell to the floor, and the noise was absurdly loud in the silence.

Both vampires whipped around to face her, and she could see that Oliver's eyes now glittered ruby red with anger. Any other time that would have made her feel better, but she couldn't believe what Michael had just said. Michael had always been kind to her, never criticised her, always trusted her. She stared deep into his eyes, hoping to see _something _kind, but all she found was mistrust and loathing.

She opened her mouth, but closed it again, unable to find any words. Michael sneered at her. "Speak of the devil – oh wait, I guess its freak"

With those words, Claire felt something in herself snap. All her life she'd been different, and this wasn't the first time she'd been called a freak. But as limited as her few close friendships had been, she knew one thing - and that was that true friends don't call you names.

She felt herself flush red, but for once it wasn't in embarrassment. Gritting her teeth, she stormed towards Michael. His grin didn't fade, but before he knew what had happened, she had slapped him full across the face.

The slap echoed across the room, and Claire had to fight not to rub her hand, which was stinging with the force of the blow. "Go to hell, Michael" she said forcefully.

"Oh my god!" The exclamation came from the doorway, and as Claire turned, she got bowled out the way, almost falling to the floor until Oliver caught her. She looked up to him gratefully, and saw the surprise on his face. She smiled sheepishly.

The human bowling ball turned out to be Eve, and Claire spotted Shane walking over as well, steering well clear of herself and Oliver. He held a crossbow in his arms, aimed at Oliver. Claire breathed in sharply and gritted her teeth at saying something she would regret. _A bit late for that now Claire _she thought to herself. "You bitch! I can't believe you just slapped my boyfriend!" Eve was standing next to Michael, a red tint coming through her goth-up.

"Woah" Claire said, feeling angry again. She was_ sick_ of being the bad guy recently. "_I'm _the bitch? Look who's calling the kettle black. I thought you were my friend Eve, and now all of a sudden you hate me? I can really see how much our _friendship_ meant!" Eve seemed slightly taken aback by Claire's response, but replied with just as much anger "You got your freaky fake-hippy boyfriend to change my memories! And god knows how many times you've done it already! No wonder-" Eve cut her sentence short, but Claire could see her biting the inside of cheek. "No wonder what, Eve?" Claire asked icily "Was it perhaps, 'No wonder Shane cheated on you?'" She heard Oliver growl behind her, and heard Shane ready the cross bow in response. "Oh shut up Shane" she said, even though he hadn't said anything. He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "You know what? When I met you all, I thought that I'd struck lucky, that I had the best friends anyone could have. Ha" she exclaimed bitterly "Well, I can see you for what you are now. A bunch of cowardly, lying traitors. I don't want anything to do with any of you ever again, so I'll be getting my things from home now"

"Because you really have somewhere to live" Shane laughed sarcastically. "I do actually Shane. Somewhere a lot better than with the three of you. I'm going to stay with Oliver."

And with that, she swept out of the warehouse, and heard Oliver follow a few seconds later.

* * *

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking, I was just going with the flow and it kind of came out, I totally understand if your ma-" Claire's apology was cut off with a fiery kiss from Oliver. She made a noise of surprise, but returned it, and when he ended it, she was slightly dazed.

"That" he declared "was for slapping that stupid boy back there. And everything else." she blushed, and blushed even more when he said "You were amazing". "I don't know about that" she denied, but felt a giddy fluttering in her chest from his comment.

They were walking back to the glass house, to collect Claire's things. "Oh no" she exclaimed. Oliver looked questioningly at her "I have nowhere to live. I'll have to start house hunting. Well, flat hunting. Or move back in with my parents. Or-" her rambling was cut off by another passionate kiss from Oliver. "You've got to stop doing that" she murmured after shed regained her senses. Oliver laughed, surprisingly happy.

"What?" Claire asked suspiciously.

"You" he replied

"Me?" Now she was completely confused.

"Yes, you Claire. Where are you going to live?"

" Well, that's what I was talking about before you interu-"

"You can't live with your parents. You don't have enough money to rent a house by yourself. So" he said with emphasis as she tried to speak "I suppose there's only one other option" "I don't under- oh" she said with surprise as she realised what he was saying. "Are you sure? I was only saying that in the heat of the moment, you don't have to-" "I want to, believe me Claire."

"But" she said with a frown "It's going to be kind of hard to keep us a secret if I move in with you, oh, actually about that, I heard some people talking about us, so people might know…" she slowed, expecting him to interrupt her at any moment.

"Of course people know, little Claire" the voice appeared out of nowhere, as was the norm for Myrnin speaking. "Oliver told them himself" he stepped out of the shadows, and Claire gawped at him. "What do you mean, Oliver told them himself? What does he mean?" she demanded, turning to Oliver.

"I told all the vampire of common grounds about us" he said simply. "What?! Why!? But everyone will…" she didn't want to insult him, but this was Claire's worst nightmare. "They'll not respect you anymore!" Myrnin laughed and Oliver smiled. "I don't get what's so funny" Claire said, distressed. "Claire, someone like me does not lose respect that easily. People will talk of course, but I dare say I can handle a few rumours"

"Oh" Claire said, as a smile grew across her face. "That means- we can be together. But not secretly. Unsecretly." She was sure that the shock was doing something to her brain. Surely her vocabulary wasn't this bad? But Claire didn't care that much as she saw the new future open up before her. She laughed. Then a new thought occurred to her.

"Hey, Myrnin-" but he was gone. "What was it?" Oliver asked her. "I- just something Myrnin said earlier tonight. Do you think… do you think that Amelie already knew? About us I mean?" Oliver wasted no time in thinking before he answered. "Of course."

"How though?" she was curious, when they'd always been so careful to hide their relationship. "Amelie has her ways…" he said vaguely. She elbowed him playfully. "That's all you're going to say?" she teased. Oliver smiled then and tickled her. She squealed and ran away, and as he chased her down the street, Claire Danvers was perfectly content.

****THE END****

(For now…)

_Hi guys, can you review please? I'm not sure if I pulled that chapter off properly, and got the characters right :\ Tell me what you thought!_


End file.
